Here is a sample of what is happening out there in the green buildings world! I’m not trying to understand it!
Industry Happenings
* BASIX lodgment fee proposed for new dwellings (and alterations and additions)
To continue the proper administration of the BASIX scheme a prescribed fee for the production of each new BASIX Certificate has been proposed (in the draft Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2010). This proposal is up for public comment until 5 th Nov 2010. A component of the fee covers administration costs associated with the Do-It-Yourself Thermal Comfort assessment system and the remainder covers the maintenance and support necessary to ensure the overall effectiveness of the BASIX program.
A factsheet is shown at the BASIX website www.basix.nsw.gov.au/docs/news/201009_BASIX_draft_proposals.pdf and this outlines the proposed fees and the developments to which the fee applies. The proposed fees are also listed below. These fees were designed to be less than 1% of the overall costs for meeting BASIX commitments and represent about one tenth of the compliance costs incurred in other Australian jurisdictions using compulsory NatHERS rating tools or manual paper based compliance with the Building Code of Australia. The fee will only apply to the initial lodgment of an application for a BASIX Certificate; subsequent revisions to the same certificate will not incur additional fees. (Source: NSW Department of Planning).
Provided below is a summary from the draft Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulation 2010 outlining the proposed fees:
* New BASIX affected dwellings (including dwellings created by a modification to an existing development proposal):
Single detached dwelling – $50
Dual occupancies multi dwelling housing (other than residential flat buildings) and attached dwelling:
(a) for the first 2 dwelling – $80
(b) for each dwelling more than 2 dwellings – $35
Residential flat buildings
(a) for the first 3 dwelling – $ 120
(b) for each dwelling more than 3 dwelling – $20
* Alterations and addition to BASIX affected buildings
For each dwelling – $25
* BCA 2010 now in effect – The Building Code of Australia (BCA) for 2010 took effect on 1 May 2010. This included an increase in the required Star Ratings for Energy Assessments and increased stringency for the DTS section (Deemed to Satisfy). Most states have been slow to update the changes however as discussed below.
Some of the changes included:
o 6 star requirement for new houses (not NSW where BASIX applies or in most other states as listed later)
o 6 star average and 5 star minimum for new apartments (not NSW where BASIX applies or in most other states as listed later)
o Star rating to be part of DTS and will no longer be a verification method
o Buildings using software will have to comply with both star rating and some of the DTS requirements/Australian standards
o More stringency in DTS provisions that will make software a better alternative in many cases
o Changes to DTS insulation levels and other requirements
o Lighting hot water services pool & spa and space heating requirements introduced
o Efficient energy source for domestic services is required (for new houses)
Please refer to the ABCB website for a full list of Energy Efficiency amendments to the BCA volume 1 and the BCA volume 2 – http://www.abcb.gov.au/index.cfm?objectid=A22A7398-070B-11DF-B1DD001143D4D594
For Apartments:
Victoria – BCA 2009 still applies for Section J
Tasmania – BCA 2009 still applies for Section J
NT – BCA 2009 still applies for Section J
QLD – BCA 2009 still applies (for Class 2 only) for Section J
WA – old targets still apply for Section J (i.e. 3 star minimum and 3.5 to 4 star average depending on climate zone)
For Houses:
Victoria – BCA 2009 still applies for BCA Part 2.6
Tasmania – BCA 2009 still applies for BCA Part 2.6
NT – BCA 2009 still applies for BCA Part 2.6
WA – BCA 2009 still applies for BCA Part 2.6
* BERS Pro Plus – Revolutionary New Thermal Comfort Software
BERS Pro is a thermal simulation software that can be used to show that the physical envelope of a proposed dwelling complies with the energy efficiency requirements of the Building Code of Australia BCA. “BERS Pro Plus” is the new version of BERS Pro that includes all the data entry required to calculate the total energy consumption of the house including heating cooling hot water appliances cooking cleaning etc. Outputs include a breakup by energy source as well as the carbon footprint of the household. This will be particularly beneficial in states outside NSW (where the BASIX assessment tool currently assesses many of these energy aspects). Ecospecifier Consulting are extremely experienced in the use of BERS Pro (for both houses and apartment buildings) and can provide fast and affordable ratings of new dwellings upon request.
The BCA simply requires the calculated theoretical energy needed to be added to the building (heating) plus the energy needed to be taken out of the building (cooling) per square metre of conditioned floor area to be converted to a star rating. This figure has an arbitrary “area adjustment factor” applied to it to bias the rating more towards smaller houses. This combined energy per square metre does not take into account the efficiency of the energy delivery system nor the size of the house. The problem with this approach is that it’s possible to have a large house with a high (good) star rating requiring much more heating and cooling energy than a small house with a much poorer star rating. It also provides exactly the same rating for two identical houses in the same climate even though one may have a much more efficient heating and cooling delivery system than the other. Similarly the same rating would apply even if one of the houses uses fuel sources with much lower carbon emissions than the other.
In addition to calculating the current star rating required under the BCA BERS Pro Plus uses the area of the house and the efficiency of the delivery system to calculate the electric gas and/or wood energy that is used by the house to maintain comfort. It also allows all the other appliances in the house to be modelled so that the total fuel energy can be calculated. It then converts this total energy into the annual carbon-dioxide released into the atmosphere by the household. This is a more comprehensive metric to use than current BCA star rating when comparing the energy efficiency of two houses. (Source: Solar Logic).
* COAG National Strategy on Energy Efficiency and Mandatory Disclosure of Energy Ratings
All levels of Australian Government have agreed to introduce Mandatory Disclosure from May 2011. Governments have proposed owners of existing homes to provide energy water and greenhouse performance information when selling or leasing (hence the term “residential mandatory disclosure”). ecospecifier can provide fast and affordable ratings of existing houses using second generation NatHERS rating tools (such as AccuRate and BERS Pro).
The COAG (Council of Australian Governments) have already approved a National Strategy on Energy Efficiency. The full document can be downloaded at: www.coag.gov.au/coag_meeting_outcomes/2009-07-02/docs/Energy_efficiency_measures_table.pdf
“Mandatory Disclosure” is just a part of this new strategy which is set to commence nationally in May 2011. Mandatory Disclosure of the house energy rating will be required at the sale or renting of any home. At this stage there is no plan to set a minimum level to be achieved; however there was discussion that this may be included in the future.
Already in place in Canberra the implementation of Mandatory Disclosure will allow star ratings to influence the sale price of houses. In fact a report showed that of two identical houses in the same street (one with 4 stars one with 5 stars) the 5 star house will sell for around $15000 more for the extra star on average (source: WERS).
* The current status of the new Green Star Rating Tools
o Green Star – Multi Unit Residential v1 – released on 2nd July 2009.
o Green Star – Education v1 – released on 28th August 2008.
o Green Star – Healthcare v1 – released on 16th June 2009.
o Green Star – Industrial v1 – released on 30 April 2010.
o Green Star – Retail Centre v1 – released on 28th August 2009.
o Green Star – Office Design v3 & Green Star – Office As Built v3 – released at the beginning of 2008.
o Green Star – Convention Centre PILOT – in pilot stage.
o Green Star – Custom PILOT – in pilot stage (designed to suit projects which don’t fit into other categories).
o Green Star – Public Building PILOT – one of the next Green Star rating tools to be developed. The GBCA is currently seeking sponsors for this tool.